IN HUMAN Synonyms: 209 Similar and Opposite Words

inhuman

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈhyü-mən

Definition of inhuman

as in oppressive

difficult to endure kept the prisoners in criminally inhuman conditions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ruthless

having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings an inhuman indifference to the sufferings of other human beings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in brutal

having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others a classic sociological study showing just how inhuman an individual can become when given absolute power over another

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of inhuman Some combination of its audio quality, breathiness, cadence, and intonation just hits me as squarely inhuman. — Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 8 June 2026 Perfection is inhuman, and pretensions to it are both doomed and misbegotten. — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026 To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. — Jeremy Mennis, The Conversation, 1 May 2026 The power of his work resides not in ideological argument or moral screed but in the observation of characters struggling to maintain their humanity in an inhuman system. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inhuman

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhuman

Adjective

This stretch of eastern Long Island has long been a respite for New Yorkers seeking a seaside reprieve from the oppressive heat.

— Elise Taylor, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026
Alongside health advice, state media has repeatedly returned to a familiar propaganda theme — Kim’s willingness to endure the same oppressive weather faced by ordinary North Koreans.

— Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of oppressive

Adjective

With her Demonic transformation, Rauch added a whole new shade of dark to Big Bang alums’ returns for the spinoff, following Kaley Cuoco’s ruthless Penny in Episode 2 and Kunal Nayyar’s deeply depressed Raj in Episode 1.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Through remarkable archival footage and an incredible range of interviews, Monsters of God digs into the egotistical and ruthless mentalities that supported competing criminal empires and the undercover operations that dismantled them.

— Rory Doherty, Time, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Adjective

His brutal murder in Culiacán, the capital of the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa, happened in just a few seconds on Tuesday in front of an audience of thousands of social media users watching his TikTok stream.

— Rey Rodríguez, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Deliberate exposure is a brutal test — in this trial, 81% of the placebo group got sick, experiencing diarrhea and fever in some cases before receiving antibiotics.

— Joseph Kim, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of brutal

Adjective

The plan would sanction top Russian leaders and introduce harsh new penalties on nations that purchase oil and natural gas from Russia.

— Claudia Grisales, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026
Lebson and Richards ⁠denied that allegation, saying that Robert Gilman was held in extremely harsh conditions, tortured and injected with mind-altering drugs by guards, treatment that led to his transfer to the civilian hospital.

— Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of harsh

Adjective

Regehr was relentless and merciless, and Oilers fans had to witness it over and over again.

— Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 25 July 2026
The red card was rescinded; the team was unmoored; conspiracies grew overnight, like mushrooms; and a merciless Belgium swept in and trampled, 4–1, on what remained.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026

Definition of merciless

Adjective

That left the debtor having to prove the negative that the debtor really didn't have any way to re-establish control over trust assets, and such was (and still is) a very tough sell.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Lombard also helped turn a double play in the second inning and handled another tough one-hopper hit by Cesar Prieto in the seventh.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.

— Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.

— Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026